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Show A12 Sanpete Messenger/Gunnison Valley Edition Wednesday, December 13, 2006 Commission, UDOT discuss Mantito-Ephraim road improvements By C. R. Truitt Staff writer MANTI—The Sanpete County Commission approved a youth home near Moroni, issued another oil drilling permit to Wolverine Operating Co., and discussed details of road improvements on U.S. 89 between Manti and Ephraim at its meeting Tuesday, Dec. 5. Youth home Following a public hearing, the county commission approved the youth home located between Pigeon Hollow Junction and Moroni on State Road 132. The site is 4 miles outside Moroni. Partners in the venture are Steve Frazee, Josh Wilkey, Todd Pay and Paul Bailey, all of Moroni. Bailey said all partners have had experience with youth home management. He added that new housing would be constructed 1,300 feet away from the highway. He said facility would house court-adjudicated youth 14-17 years old who would stay an average of 69 months. Bailey said the North Sanpete School District would provide educational services. Narcotics Anonymous Meetings in Sanpete Fri: 7:30 p.m. Ephraim 390 W. 100 N. Closed meeting, for addicts only. For more information on N.A., call 283-6694. The county’s planning and zoning commission set conditions that the owners follow state law, limit occupancy to 24 boys and provide security systems on doors and windows. County Zoning Administrator Lee Holmstead said the permit would be reviewed every 18 months. Passing lanes The commission also met with Brian Barton from Jones and DeMille Engineering and with Utah Department of Transportation representative Myron Lee to discuss installing passing lanes between Manti and Ephraim. Lee said UDOT had received $5 million from the Utah Legislature to convert U.S. 89 between Keller Lane and the Airport Road to four lanes. The project would create left-turn lanes on U.S. 89 for both roads. He said the intersections of the two roads would be squared up so they would be perpendicular to the highway. Commissioner Mark Anderson asked Lee whether, if the county helped with trucking and other labor, it would be possible to extend the four lanes to Willow Creek Road and put in a left turn lane at that intersection also. Lee said that when paving roads, “money is eaten up very fast” and the $5 million would go fast. But he said with the county’s help, the state could possibly extend the project. The commissioners told Lee about the Willow Creek Road residents and their concern about county roads being changed. Lee said UDOT would have to purchase easements in order to straighten out the Willow Creek Road approach to U.S. 89. Currently the road intersects U.S. 89 at an angle. Lee figured construction could start in late spring and warned the commission that construction would impact traffic. He said UDOT planned to keep two lanes open but to lower the speed limit through the construction zone. Wolverine Oil permit Another permit was granted to Wolverine Operating Company of Utah LLC to drill an exploratory oil well on property located 2.5 miles north of Milburn. Last year, Wolverine drilled 10,000 feet down at the same site but found no oil. However, the company broke a drill bit and encountered other problems so it decided to make another try, Holmstead said. It hopes to begin drilling in April. “People have spent a lot of money on drilling but there has not been one drop of oil taken out of the ground in Sanpete County,” Holmstead said. Of course, there has been a large find next door in northern Sevier County. Courts building In other business, the commission approved payments to architect Joseph Linton of $6,900 for work on the proposed courts building and $40,000 for design of the new jail. The $6,900 is a pass through, Commissioner Blackham said. The Utah Administrative Office of the Courts has agreed to reimburse the county for the amount. The commissioners authorized Commission Chairman Bruce Blackham to sign the payment request and progress report for Jones & DeMille on the Pigeon Hollow Road near Spring City. The payment is $34,640.65 out of Special Service District money, Blackham said. He stressed that the project had been in process for couple of years and that 93 percent of the money has come from the federal govern- Sanpete County ment, with the county paying 7 percent. Weed plan Bryce Jackson, chairman of the Weed Board reported that the county now had an official weed plan where it never had one before. With the plan in place, he said, the county could now force people to take care of their weeds. Another salvage yard was also approved on property located south of Johansen Auto Wrecking on State Road 132 outside of Chester. The facility will recycle newspaper, aluminum cans, cardboard, auto parts and other things. The county planning commission is requiring the owner, Dave Nelson, to fence across the front of the 39-acre property with a lockable gate. The conditional use permit will be renewable each year. Wireless tower The commission approved a conditional use permit enabling Cingular Wireless to construct a 250-foot cell tower and equipment building on property located on state trust land one mile northwest of Gunnison. Company officials have said the tower will improve cell phone reception in the county. A conditional use permit was also approved to allow Tyler Tuttle to expand a storage-unit business one-quarter mile west of Mt. Pleasant. However, the commission tabled a request from Gene and Carol Hyatt for storage units one mile east of Gunnison on State Road 287. The commission said it needed confirmation from UDOT that there was an exit off the highway to the site. The Hyatts were also asked to provide a survey approved by the county recorder. NEWS•BRIEFS COUNTYWIDE INTEREST Wild horse and burro adoption fees reduced By Tanya Y. Spencer SALT LAKE CITY—The Utah State Office of the BLM announces reduced adoption fees for geldings and studs in December. Geldings and studs may be adopted for $25 this month. The standard fee is $125. A special adoption event will be held on Saturday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. in Delta and Salt Lake City. “We hope that anyone who has the interest and means of providing good care for these geldings and studs will come to our facilities in December,” said Gus Warr, Utah Wild Horse and Burro Lead. For more information about adopting a horse or wild burro visit www.blm.com or call The Salt Lake Wild Horse and Burro Center near Butterfield Canyon at (801) 561-4632 or toll free at (877) 2243956, or the Delta Wild Horse and Burro Facility at (435) 743-3100 or (435) 979-2180. FOUNTAIN GREEN Your vote counts By Tanya Y. Spencer MANTI—In case you have ever wondered if your one vote really makes a difference, consider this year’s race for North Sanpete School Board seat 4. Election night totals had Greg Bailey with 233 votes, or 50.54 percent, and his challenger Robert Hansen with 227 votes, or 49.24 percent. Both are from Fountain Green. After the provisional ballots were counted the vote stood at 235 votes for Bailey, 234 votes for Hansen and one vote for a write-in candidate. Hansen initiated the recount that took place last week. Bailey was unable to attend so he sent his wife, Jenny. Bailey said, “She was really impressed with the whole process and how professional the staff at the clerk’s office was.” The recount was exactly the same as the election night totals and the provisional ballots combined. The final official results are 235 votes for Bailey, 234 for Hansen, and one write-in, giving Bailey the office and demonstrating that one vote can make a difference. 2 col. ADVERTISE HERE! 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